Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-05-28
THE SEA SERPENT MYSTERY.
Murray Solves is With the
Aid Of a Coed FkeAd-Glasss

Boston Dispatch to the New YORK Sun.
W. d. h Murray has solved the sea serpent mys-
terry OF Lake Champlain, and his solution viii per-
maps apply TO many along shore mysteries OF the
same sort. He writes as follows:
Going to my front door last Friday morning
i, many people. with more or less excatement
iooklng at the lake. asked oeamSter opposite
my door what was the cause OF II. He replied that
the sea serpent was in the bay. said: slave you
had only lust sunk nom At view, and Would soon
PROBABLY re-appear. The words were hardly uttered
before he pointed frantically toward the lake and
right In front OF me- not two miles away, the lake
oeang scarcely nppled the air clear as plate glass
spectacle Was e fr o snu ainp one IN my
Wanderings have CHANGED to see some strange
things and had cause to note some OF the deceits
free to say that never saw on land or sea an APP
pearance more startling than saw in Burlington
Bay in front Of my house last Friday morning.
The appearance has been many times described
with fair degree OF accuracy. In length the SER
pent seemed at least 100 feet longer than a canal
times OF slaty brown, and ct others it seemed to
DE glfstening white, like the scales OF shad. Its
motion was undaaatory, and kind OF Quivering Its
whole length characterized IL. 1t moved with
astonishing rapidity toward the north, and when
It was showing the full length of its appearance
This is plain account OF the sea serpent as saw
IL. The deceit was perfect. The coolest observer
anu sne most skepticaa would have been perfectly
ster. have field glassOf great value and think
Ing that the serpent would appear again. stepped
quickly to where it hangs In the hall and adjusted
the lenses for the distance. A lady's hand at the
required range would show its fingers plainly.
The first thought OF incredulity as i stood gazing
az 1t before took my glass, arose from the fact
OF the exceeding rapidfty with which it was mov-
ing Nobody, l said to myself, could ever move
through the water as fast as that thing was going
had hardly reached the veranda again when the
cry rang along the street, There he Isl There he
is again!n and sure enough, there was the serpent
once more. white andshiny, moving with immense
rapidity, with the same peculiar vibrating motion
brought my glass to bear upon Is instantly, and
the mystery was that instant solved. The i'm
eral hundreds Of small birds Of the piover family
f1y1Dg in long line, which swung down
ana 10 the right or left as they flew. The under
s1de Of their wings and breasts was snowy
In the long or short curv1ngs OF their tight they
were nyang at such an angle as regards the gazer
mat the under side OF their wings and breasts was
seen the serpent, long and white, appeared
Mnen they took some slant at another angle, and
tnelr backs and upper side OF their wings were
turned toward the ga1er, the white line faded out
ana tne monster seemed to sink from view. The
qulvering and vibrating motions OF the monster
little wings, In long line extended, the gradual
sw0op up and down In their fight, made the APP
pearance perfect. The immense speed OF the ser
pent was accounted for, his motion being the mo-
ton OF Quick-winged birds cleavfng the air, and
water.
That this is true account and perfect solution
OF the Champaign sea serpent the public may be-
neve for had not only the opportunity to see one
sea serpent that morning. but saw three at the
same instant; one rounding Bluff Point, one about
mile out heading to join It, and another north OF
juniper Island; and so speak with the certainty
| OF one who knows whereof he affirms. But the
appearance Is most deceitful one and with the
unasslsted eye Its real nature cannot be discerned